Note: Judgepedia will be read-only from 9pm CST on February 25-March 5 while Judgepedia is merged into Ballotpedia. Starting on March 5, all Judgepedia content will be contained on Ballotpedia.org. For status updates, visit lucyburns.org.

Early life and education

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Murphy obtained his B.A. from Marquette University in 1984, and received his Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law in 1987.[1]

Professional career

Murphy began his legal career as an Attorney with the United States Department of Justice from 1987 to 1992. Murphy then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan with the United States Department of Justice, from 1992 to 2000 and again, as U.S. Attorney, from 2005 to 2008. Murphy was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law from 1995 to 2003, at the Ave Maria School of Law in 2003, the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in 2008, and currently at the University of Toledo Law School. Murphy also practiced in the corporate sector as an Attorney for General Motors from 2000 to 2005.[1]

Notable cases

Iron Workers Local 25 pension fund case (2011)

Plaintiffs brought the action claiming that the trustees of a multiemployer pension plan breached their fiduciary duties when arranging a contingent fee with counsel amounting to $36 million. Murphy held for the defendant trustees, holding that the plaintiffs failed to prove any of their claims against the trustees, and that the compensation was-among other factors- reasonable when arranged, and therefore reasonable during litigation.[3]

Disenfranchisement in Michigan (2008)

Prior to the 2008 Michigan general election, Judge Murphy ordered the Michigan Secretary of State and other Michigan election officials to restore voter registration to over 1,400 Michigan voters whose registrations had been canceled or rejected because of out-of state vehicle license registration or because of Postal service return of voter registration cards.[4]

City police arrest Christian evangelists seeking to convert Muslims

Judge Murphy ruled in favor of a Christian evangelist organization, allowing them to survive a motion to dismiss and bring a civil conspiracy claim against a defendant business organization. Act 17, the Christian organization, was given leave to add the American Arab Chamber of Commerce as a defendant in their suit, in addition to the City of Dearborn and others. The complaint alleged that missionaries were unlawfully arrested for preaching the Gospel to Muslims at the 2010 Arab International Festival.[5]

Detroit School Board First Amendment case

Plaintiffs, Detroit Public Schools tenured teachers, sought an injunction to restore them to their teaching positions. The teachers argued that they were terminated due to their vocal opposition and involvement mass rally against the Board of Education of the City of Detroit's plan to close 38 schools. The Plaintiffs' claim asserted that the Board violated Plaintiffs' rights of speech and assembly in firing them for retaliatory reasons. Murphy granted the preliminary injunctive relief, thereby ordering that the teachers be returned to the schools and teaching positions they held prior to termination.[6]